24 Guinea Worm - Dracunculiasis

Paul Pottinger 19/09/18

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Guinea worm is a round worm infection. Adult migrates into leg and feet, pushes uterus out of wound into skin, releasing larvae.

Water flea become parasitised, then dracunuliasis in humans.

Debilitating, but not fatal.

If you don’t consume the flea, you don’t consume worms.

So filtering with straws/cheese cloth can prevent this.

On the verge of disease ERADICATION globally.

Problem is it is a zoonosis, spread in dogs as well. In chad there are dogs getting infected, and spreading it amongst dogs. But it’s a possibility of spreading back to humans! Especially in destabilised areas in Chad.